The Confluence of Hearts
by ShadowoftheHeart
Summary: We go back to the Bakumatsu where two people live together amidst a war. One a hitokiri, the other a mysterious woman. Kenshin and Tomoe remain closed doors to each other, but the happenings of a revolution unexpectedly brings them close together. KxT
1. Chapter 1

A.N.- this is just fic that I decided to write. I have always liked the Kenshin and Tomoe pairing. Of course I am a big fan of Kenshin and Kaoru, I just think that TomoexKenshin seems to get overlooked often. I wanted to write a fic dedicated to them. I've always thought Tomoe was a very enigmatic and interesting character. I wanted to get a chance to write about her.

I wanted to start this fic from near the end of Tomoe and Kenshin's time together, but during the story I will back it up to flashbacks and switch between the present and past. It's my first fic!

Please feel free to review, and note that neither Rurouni Kenshin nor its characters belong to me, but to its creator and mastermind Nobuhiro Watsuki-san.

The Confluence of Hearts 

Chapter 1

It was the day of the first snowfall. Tints of pallid blues and greys dappled the vast hills of farmland and intermixed with cold white as they drifted from the crystalline sky, which invariably consisted of broad clouds overhead.

The air had a vague chill that tickled the flesh when exposed to it. It was the commencement of autumn, where all things in nature took upon a delicate external face. Animals saw this alteration in their environment as an end to their gathering and a beginning to their rehabilitation. They crept into the underground and crevices where they could hide from the sting of ice upon their paws.

The hard season had begun. The farmers took this as a sign to gather up what harvest they had left and store it for the upcoming winter. It was difficult in the isolation of the mountains of Japan, yet there was a quiet and rural life of solitude that many would have longed to have compared to experiencing the turmoil that ravaged the cities.

Tomoe had once loathed the very idea of going to the rustic lifestyle of a peasant wife. She had not taken a quick liking to the part that she had been given to play. Yet she was a mastermind of putting up a fortified pretense. She donned the card of a wife of a young medicine merchant and carried out her duty in a solemn and compliant silence.

Being eighteen and having much clouding her mind already, she would have preferred to be anywhere but the mountains. Yet Tomoe knew that these desires to be free were selfish and foolish. It did not take her long to adapt, for she was a naturally capable adapter as well as a worker.

Tomoe never expressed her disinterest in the countryside, nor did she expect to develop a quiet liking to it. She found it more appealing compared to the gossip and drama entangled with Kyoto. Yet within that city lie memories.

There were memories of a childhood where she always supported the role of mother for her younger brother. She had always seemed to be in the role of something, which was in an essence never her choice. The role of a caregiver had been the only which had she sincerely taken upon as her own.

The memory of a death of an admirer and his eventual bloody assassination in the dark alleyways of Kyoto remained lucid in her mind. It was a fervid recollection that always reappeared to Tomoe, but one that she was forced to quell in order to keep her equanimity.

There were other memories, which had been most recent, that Tomoe found herself thinking about more often. She spoke not of these memories, for they involved a young man who was the very cause of both her suffering and her mixed feelings at the present moment.

Her companion and supposed "husband" played the charade just as cleverly as she, yet he was different in his performance. Kenshin was in contrast to her, had a subtle amiable quality and kindness that people took a liking to. The children flocked to him with smiles beaming on their faces and begging him to play with them.

The famed hitokiri, now a friendly medicine man, began to know his fellow villager's names and their needs, he recognized the land, and what weather would bring what kind of crops. Kenshin was clever, yet not clever in the sense that Tomoe was.

Tomoe was never malevolent in nature; she was just never open with her feelings. Kenshin spoke rarely of his feelings, yet he had a much easier time doing it than she did.

The two treated each other with a distant respect. Tomoe was the detached and dutiful wife and Kenshin the hardworking and kind husband. They remained closed doors to each other and let each day pass by without opening them.

Tomoe thought her companion peculiar, for he was so young, yet so wise in experience. He muffled his true sincerity because of his wounded heart. His eyes had seen which should not be seen. His hands had been sullied with the blood of many and his mind altered by differing ideals and loyalties.

Kenshin had become a creature that killed without hesitation for one cause. He had allowed himself to be used, his strength and bloodlust to be nurtured, and his power unleashed for the sake of "equality" and "justice". He himself never spoke of what he thought justice was, nor mentioned what it was like to see a victim's light leave their eyes.

His loyalty was unwavering and his will resolute, yet in his heart there was a tremor and cry that Tomoe had sensed since she first met him. It was a cry of youth, innocence, and candidness that had been gradually swallowed up by the influences of the revolution.

Being in the countryside had lessened the dangerous hold over Kenshin's heart, as well as Tomoe's. They could both sense that darkness lifting and a new day dawning before their eyes.

Yet in their situations, so much remained uncertain. One day Kenshin would return to that hell-induced life, smothered with chaos and clashing idealists for the old and the foreign. Tomoe then would be left to herself to linger with a purpose.

Her purpose had been to avenge her destroyed happiness and the death of Kiyosato, her lover. Tomoe had not yet told Kenshin of this man, or that he was the cause for her suffering as well as them getting placed in the country to live with one another.

Her hesitance increased with each passing day. The two of them grew more accustomed to the banality and simplicity of their new life and to the company of one another. Kenshin began to smile, and Tomoe found a spark of warmth emerge from the deep recesses of her weary heart.

She knew her intentions, yet she waited longer and longer to go through with them. Kenshin remained naïve to her heart, for it was always closed to him. She was kind to him in a cool sense. The boy did not object to her indifference, yet he seemed somewhat saddened by it. Her reticence and lack of expression confused him, so he thus attempted to start conversations with her in an attempt to brighten the mood.

Kenshin sometimes took Tomoe to the village with him. During the summer they had worked on the crops together, fished together, and even taken evening strolls with one another. They seldom spoke to one another, but little did they know how much they watched each other.

The two observed each other incessantly with a curious and longing keenness. Tomoe was always wary and submissive. Kenshin was alert and wondered about the woman's persistent somberness. He wanted to know more about the woman he spent time with and gotten used to her presence. He found her to be the kindest person he had ever met; yet he never told her that.

Tomoe baffled him, if only she knew how much he wanted to know more about her. Kenshin played with the village children often and she would always watch. She watched him so intently, which both unnerved and thrilled him. She was so sober, which frightened the children. They said she was an ice princess, which only made the young samurai laugh.

It was now the first day of winter and the wind nipped at the exposed skin of the passersby. It was not yet frigid, yet chilly enough to unsettle people.

Kenshin was traveling back home carrying his box of medicine and herbs strapped to his back after a day's work. He donned a thick kimono and wore a violet scarf that Tomoe had made for him. She had said the color suited him and stated that he needed to wear warmer clothing. The next day she had insistently wrapped the scarf about his neck after spending the whole day making it.

It was not yet mid-day. Tomoe was outside sweeping with a sore-looking broom and had her ebony black hair pulled back along with the long sleeves of her pale kimono. She glanced up at Kenshin as he entered and stared at him with her deep black orbs of eyes.

"You've come early today. I've yet to make dinner," she said whimsically, as she continued to swish the broom about.

Kenshin set down the pack that was on his back and nodded his head in greeting. "Actually I was thinking we could buy a fish at the market. We could have it for dinner with some pickled plum and rice. Doesn't that sound lovely? We've not had that in a long while."

Tomoe blinked at the cheerfulness in his tone. She stood upright and stopped her ministrations as she faced him. Kenshin was looking at her warmly and the corners of his lips rose into the faint outline of a smile. His violet eyes glimmered with a vague light of content and the wind brushed back his long red hair ever so slightly.

Tomoe nodded slowly. "If that is what you wish."

_That does sound nice._

Kenshin smiled. "Good. It's cold. You'll want to bring a shawl."

The two of them made their way to the village in a soft silence. Kenshin looked around, observing the nature and strolling leisurely. Tomoe walked with slow, graceful movements and kept a few paces behind the hitokiri. She watched his back and saw him glance back at her.

"The medicine I sell will help make up for the lack of harvest this year. I am buying us some fish as a reward for our hard work. The winter will be a hard one, so we'll have to take care," Kenshin stated.

Tomoe spoke quietly. "That's kind of you."

Kenshin shrugged. "Follow me.

Tomoe followed curiously, and realized they were heading a different direction than usual. They bypassed crops, went through a few fields, before they came to a narrow and curved stream. Kenshin walked alongside it and led Tomoe by the hand to cross it.

He led her to a hill overlooking the rushing water where the sun illuminated it, creating a pleasant radiance. Tomoe watched as Kenshin plopped down in the grass to take a rest. He motioned for her to sit beside him and sighed as she complied.

"It's beautiful. It is a pity that it will freeze soon. You know, I was thinking we could grow more crops in the spring. I hope I am not called back to war soon. I have come to like it here. It's nice being away for a while. Don't you think?" Kenshin said languorously, and rested his arms beneath his head.

Tomoe glanced around and took in the serenity about her. "It is nice. Do you think they will have you return before spring?" A hint of emotion lingered in her voice and she stared at him with a tint of avidness.

Kenshin's eyes narrowed and his face turned staid. He became sober and shrugged. "One cannot say. The enemy will likely think my sword skills have waned. I cannot refuse if I am summoned. My duty is to the Choshu."

He saw something that he recognized as disappointment in Tomoe's eyes. It was a faint flicker and she looked away. Kenshin sighed and stared at the ripples in the water. "I hope that doesn't happen anytime soon though. I want to get next years crops in and see the cherry blossoms bloom for the first time."

Tomoe glanced back at him softly. "Do you want to go back to that; killing people?"

Kenshin appeared pained and he tensed. "They are relying on me to help win this war. I told you that it is my duty. I pledged myself to the Ishin Shishi." He paused before his form slackened. "It's been nice getting away from it all for a while. It's helped me realize more not only about the war, but about myself as well. I like it here, with you and the others. After the war I might come back here. What do you plan to do once this is over Tomoe?"

The woman looked at him with an involuntary stiffness. "I am not sure." She spoke the truth, for she found herself becoming more indecisive as each day passed.

Kenshin nodded slowly and studied her ashen face, which was set in a demure expression. Her dark oval eyes lessened in their severity and took upon their natural delicate beauty. The hitokiri inclined his head slightly and examined the graceful angle of the woman's jaw.

Tomoe felt him glide a finger lightly along her jaw. Kenshin's feather touch caused her heart to skip a beat and her rosy lips parted open as a gasp threatened to arise in her throat.

"You are very beautiful Tomoe."

Tomoe's icy exterior began to crack somewhat by those words. She looked at Kenshin as if startled, and her cheeks colored. She said nothing as the boy grinned at her smoothly before standing up.

"We better get going. It's getting late and we have to get that fish," Kenshin said swiftly. He extended his hand to her and Tomoe stared at it before gripping it. He helped her rise to her feet, and she stood there staring at him for a few moments as if in a daze.

The two of them went to the village and retrieved the fish. They walked back home in silence and Tomoe found herself staring at Kenshin in wonder.

_He said I was beautiful?_

A memory came to her, of someone who had said something similar.

"My beautiful Tomoe…" 

It had been young man who had said that, who had a pleasant expression and enthusiasm for life. He had been so attentive and caring. She had fallen in love with his zealous nature, yet she could never have told him.

Then he left for war to prove his worth to her…

Tomoe saddened as she recalled getting the letter, which had revealed his death. _Assassinated in an alleyway of Kyoto…_

She glanced up at Kenshin who was walking contentedly and seemed to be drifting in his own world. Tomoe's face darkened and she breathed heavily.

You killed Kiyosato… 

She remembered how she had wept and wandered later, drowning her misery in alcohol.

_Amber eyes, cold steel dripping with crimson…a head full of red hair…a lithe and godlike swing, and the agonizing cry…blood spurting into the air as the body hit the ground…_

_Then it rained blood…_

_She had met those eyes, so hardened and piercing like the sharp steel of a blade. _

Tomoe glanced at Kenshin and realized something.

_Amber…_

He looked at her for a moment over his shoulder and her eyes widened with the realization.

_No, violet…_

Tomoe blinked and Kenshin blinked back. "Are you all right?"

The woman nodded quickly in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I must have dozed off."

Kenshin stared at her for a moment before shrugging and turning away. Tomoe stared at him uneasily before resting a hand to her brow.

_That's odd. I could have sworn his eyes were amber. I must have been imagining things._

She dismissed the thought before catching up with Kenshin.

_To be continued…_


	2. Chapter 2

A.N.- I planned to update this fic earlier, but from the lack of reviews and starting school, training for my blackbelt, etc….I have been too busy. I apologize if I take a while to update. Please review, it would be greatly appreciated. To keep you reader from confusion I do flip back from the present to the past in this fic. It depends on the character's points of views, etc.

The Confluence of Hearts

Chapter 2

_Kyoto, 1864_

He hadn't known what to do with her. He hadn't noticed that she had been staring at him until it was too late.

His sword had met his assailant, ripped through the flesh, and splattered fresh blood into the air. It had smeared the lady's stark white kimono and the purple shawl that was wrapped about her. Kenshin's amber eyes, glazed over with intent, lessened in severity as they met that oval-shaped face, with a mouth parted slightly open, and eyes so utterly deep and black like voids.

His sword slipped from his hands and fell to the ground with a clanging thud. His heart raced in his chest at the realization that the woman had seen him kill the assassin.

_It's the woman from the bar…she saw! I cannot let her know of Battousai's existence! This is bad. What do I do? _

"You know how they say in plays 'a rain of blood fell?' You really made it rain blood." Her voice was soft and mellow-like, and brought Kenshin out of his panicked reverie.

The redheaded swordsman glanced up at her and saw that she looked to be smiling almost grimly, before he saw the lady suddenly fall forward. He caught her in surprise before she hit the ground and stumbled backward.

_She's fainted. It's only natural, but what should I do with her? Silence her? No. I can't leave her here amidst the evidence, especially at night in the alleyways of Kyoto. Guess I have no choice…_

Kenshin hauled the unconscious woman up bridal style and paused. He could smell her perfume even amidst the rain and blood.

_Hakubaiko, huh?_

His face flushed.

_I must be going crazy.'_

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Kenshin awoke the next morning, recalling the memory of that night in Kyoto. He had dreamt of it, and it had been so lucid it was as if he were there again. He turned in a bit of a daze to see Tomoe kneeling and writing in her diary absorbedly. Her wrist flicked gracefully and she dabbed her brush in ink before smoothing it over a crisp page. She seemed to have taken notice of the man's eyes on her because she shut her diary quickly and tucked it in a drawer before facing him.

Tomoe looked as cool as ever and nodded her head in greeting.

Kenshin blinked, still feeling bit groggy. Those deep black eyes burned into him and he recalled that strong scent of white plum mixed with blood. "Huh? Oh, ohayo gozaimasu."

He looked around and noticed that a ray of light flitted through the shoji screen. A few birds twittered, welcoming the morning. Kenshin groaned before brushing the hair out of his eyes, pushing back the futon, and standing up. His yukata had become disheveled in his sleep, and slid off the right side of his torso.

Tomoe glanced at him, noticing the flat, yet smooth muscles. Kenshin took no notice of it and pulled the fallen cloth back over him before facing the woman. "I must've slept late. Why didn't you wake me?"

"I didn't want to disturb you," Tomoe replied simply. She was already up and dressed and put away her futon.

Kenshin became a bit humiliated before shrugging it off. "I have to get some medicine delivered. I promised Oshigara-san that I would bring him some good herbs for his stomach pains and give Michiko-dono something to help relieve the bad toothache she has."

He rushed hurriedly to get dressed, and did so behind one of the screens without so much as saying another word to Tomoe. He did not even ask her if she had breakfast prepared or if she had slept well.

Tomoe did not bother carrying up a conversation with Kenshin. He was dressed in moments and had his case of medicine on his back. He was about to depart before pausing to stare at her.

Kenshin's nose took in the sweet scent of hakubaiko and he felt for a moment that he was holding the woman in his arms in the rain once more. Tomoe looked at him questionably and his face flushed.

"You know, you can always come to the village with me if you like. It must get lonely up here and tedious no doubt," Kenshin said awkwardly.

Tomoe was unruffled as always. "It's no problem. The house always needs cleaning, there is harvesting to wrap up, and lunch to be made at your return."

Kenshin had somehow thought she would say something different, but this was typical of her. "Oh, all right then. I'll be back in a few hours. The children will most likely want to play when I return."

His eyes met hers. They were violet and bright and Tomoe's heart leapt as Kenshin turned and left.

_Violet…how long have they been…_

_**Amber**__…_

_No, they've been violet for as long as can remember._

Tomoe found herself bemused.

When Kenshin had first met her, she could have sworn the vehement gold orbs had existed. She had seen them, she couldn't doubt it. So how could his eyes be both amber and violet?

That night in Kyoto those eyes had been swirling with a tangible and unsettling amber flame. Those days afterward they had flickered with a diluted gold that sparked with intent whenever he looked at her. They had been unremitting and fierce and sent chills up anyone who met them.

But now, Tomoe seldom sensed that fierceness. Had she not even noticed the change? It seemed ridiculous.

She watched as Kenshin's fleeting form disappeared in the distance.

_What changed?_

Tomoe's lips pursed into a thin line as she recalled something.

_She had leaned over him to drape a blanket over him…he had been sleeping so soundly…_

_**A swordsman's weakness**__…_

_That swift jerk, cold metal pressed against her throat, his mouth curled into a snarl, and those amber eyes penetrating her._

_"__**Would you kill me?**__"_

_XOXOXOXOXOXO_

_Kyoto_

The drizzle pelted the roof of the Ohagi Inn as Kenshin tiptoed in. The woman in his arms remained limp and a quiet moan escaped her mouth. The Battousai's head gazed around and he breathed a sigh of relief.

"What on earth are you doing Himura?"

Kenshin jumped and turned to face an older woman, Okami, the innkeeper. "No-well there was a fight, she fainted and-it's not what it looks like."

Okami raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "You got her drunk then?"

Kenshin started and shook his head furiously.

Okami sighed and shook her head in disdain. "This isn't a teahouse. I can't just let whores in. I guess we really have no choice do we? Just this once though. Wait a moment. I'll get some warm water and fresh clothes."

"Oi! Mrs. Okami!" The woman turned her head to see a man with an unshaven face poke his head lazily through the door as Kenshin walked away. "What's going on?"

"Oh, it's you Iizuka. It's that swordsmen Katsura has been looking after…well he's…" Okami explained, and Iizuka's face fell.

"Himura brought a _girl_?

XOXOXO

Kenshin watched Tomoe as she slept and frowned.

_Just a drunk huh? _

He found himself growing drowsy.

_I still smell it…white plums…_

Sleep took him, and he awoke the next morning, startled to find the lady not there and the futon she had been lying on folded neatly.

_No! I fell asleep!_

Kenshin rushed out of the room. "Okami-dono!" he cried, as he saw the woman in the hall.

"Oh Himura, good morning. This girlfriend of yours is quite a fine worker, I must admit." She handed a stack of trays to a lady next to her, who Kenshin realized was the woman from the night before.

He about fell on his face and attempted to ignore the remark. He followed the lady down the hall as she carried the tray of food, before addressing her. "Um...miss…"

"Tomoe." She did not turn to him as she said this and kept walking.

Kenshin blinked, not sure how what to say. "Oh, well Tomoe, what are you doing?"

She glanced at him as if he were an imbecile. "What does it look like I am doing?"

Kenshin frowned and stared at the tray. "Carrying food?"

Tomoe stopped before a sliding shoji screen. "How observant of you."

Kenshin watched as she slid the door open. A line of men sat there, waiting to be served. Their eyes lingered on Tomoe hungrily, but she seemed unaffected. "Breakfast is ready."

"So this is Himura's girl!"

"She's cute."

"Older too."

"Perfect for him, and just as icy!"

Kenshin started at these sudden remarks. Tomoe ignored them and bowed her head. "Nice to meet you." She departed then, and Kenshin called after her.

"Wait just a minute!"

"So how was she Himura?" Iizuka teased, interrupting Kenshin's chance to speak with Tomoe.

The Battousai turned to him, miffed and flustered. "Would you cut that out!"

Iizuka grinned. "Embarrassed I see. It's nothing to be ashamed of. She's a pretty one."

Kenshin was losing his patience. His hand met his blade, startling the men. Iizuka held his tongue and backed off. "Sorry. You don't have to take it so personally."

Kenshin glowered heatedly at his friend before cooling. "Instead of remarking on women there are things that should be discussed!"

Iizuka shrugged and pointed to a man in the corner. He looked placid and laidback, and was calmly sipping on some frothy tea. Kenshin faced his leader Katsura and sighed.

"Calm down Himura. Relax for once in your life. Besides, there is nothing wrong with the matters of the heart. They do not concern ideals. Ideals can always be discussed," Katsura stated amiably.

Kenshin shook his head. "Can't we speak seriously? What of your stay here! You must be careful here in Kyoto."

Katsura looked up from his tea. "Certainly. If you'll give me a moment Himura we can speak outside."

Kenshin did not get a chance to speak to Tomoe until later. He was walking about as he brooded over his previous conversation with Katsura.

"_There is a traitor amidst us…"_

_**A traitor**__…_

He passed up Tomoe, and then made a chance to stop her. "Tomoe-dono."

She barely stopped to notice him. "Yes?"

Kenshin faced her squarely and his eyes narrowed. "I want you to forget everything you saw last night and leave this place."

Tomoe cocked an eyebrow, affronted by his forwardness. "Really now? Am I such a burden? Okami-san approves of me."

Kenshin frowned in annoyance. "Your family will miss you."

Tomoe scoffed as if that were an amusing thought. "If I had a family to go back to why would I be out drinking alone at night?"

Kenshin faltered, but became more frustrated. "I don't know of your situation but we're in no state to look after you."

Tomoe studied him for a few moments and looked at him softly. "What do you propose I do? Will you finish me like you did that man for witnessing you kill him?"

Kenshin huffed. "That's absurd. You can think whatever you want, but I'm doing this only to bring a new age where everyone can live in peace. I don't kill without purpose, only when needed. It's only armed members of the Bakufu who oppose us that I would face. Naturally civilians might oppose us as well, but I would never strike a man unless armed."

Tomoe's black eyes glinted. "I see. So it's the bad that carry swords and good that don't? Does that mean if I had been carrying a sword that night you would have struck me down as well?"

She looked at him so plainly, yet her eyes bore into Kenshin's with a disturbing intensity. The samurai looked at her in disbelief, having not expected such words.

"That's…"

He was at a loss for words. Tomoe glanced at him coldly. "When you have an answer for me, let me know." With that she left him, befuddled and taken aback.

_'__**Would you have struck me down as well?**__'_

_To be continued…_


End file.
